Hello and welcome to today's meditation session for Wellness Wednesdays where we focus on fostering inner strength through emotional resilience.
In our practice today we'll draw upon Taoist principles to cultivate stability,
Calm and flexibility within the mind and spirit.
Emotional resilience is a quality that helps us navigate life's ups and downs with greater ease,
Poise and confidence.
Let's take a moment to relax and centre ourselves,
Ready to journey inwards and tap into the strength that lies within each of us.
Begin by finding a comfortable seat,
Either on a cushion or a chair or on the floor,
Whatever allows your spine to be tall and your shoulders to relax.
Close your eyes gently,
Letting your breath slow and deepen naturally.
Become aware of each inhalation and exhalation,
Notice the soothing rhythm of your breathing.
Begin to release any tension you may be holding in your body,
Starting from your forehead,
Moving down through your face,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Torso,
Legs and finally your feet.
This is your time to fully let go of any concerns or distractions.
Picture yourself as a river,
Flowing steadily,
Yet able to adapt as the water meets obstacles along its path.
Feel a sense of ease and openness,
And as you breathe,
Allow yourself to be in the present moment,
Letting all outside thoughts drift away.
As you settle into the flow of your breath,
Feel your body resting in harmony,
Calm yet aware.
In Taoist meditation,
Resilience is akin to the strength of water,
Adaptable,
Unbreakable and ever-flowing.
Today,
We'll embrace this image of water to build our inner emotional resilience,
Tapping into a strength that's fluid,
Gentle and enduring.
Bring your awareness now to your lower belly,
A place known in Taoism as the dantian,
The centre of your energy.
Gently place your hands over this area,
Feeling the warmth of your palms connecting with the body's energetic centre.
With each breath in,
Feel as if you're drawing in calm,
Grounding energy,
Filling this centre with stability and tranquility.
As you exhale,
Imagine releasing any tension,
Worry or fear,
Allowing these emotions to drift away like a leaf carried by the current of a stream.
Notice how the breath brings you back to the centre,
Grounding and steadying you.
This space of inner calm,
Imagine a gentle river flowing through you,
Clear and peaceful.
Let yourself become this river,
Embodying its flow,
Its softness and its strength.
The river doesn't resist obstacles,
Instead,
It flows around them,
Adapting and finding new pathways.
Imagine any difficult emotions you're carrying as rocks in this river.
Rather than pushing against these feelings or resisting them,
Allow your inner river to flow around them,
Acknowledging their presence without being overcome.
With each breath,
Cultivate a mindset of acceptance and softness.
See each challenging emotion as an opportunity for growth,
A rock in your river's path that ultimately enhances its flow and shape.
Feel yourself becoming both calm and flexible,
Rooted yet unyielding.
Able to move with life's changes and uncertainties.
Allow this feeling to expand within you,
Feeling the strength and resilience that comes from knowing you can adapt,
Adjust and move forwards regardless of life's obstacles.
As you breathe,
Imagine a bright,
Gentle light growing in this centre.
This light is your resilience,
Your inner calm,
Your ability to face life's challenges with grace.
Feel it expanding with each inhale,
Filling you with a sense of warmth and strength.
With each exhale,
Imagine this light extending beyond you,
Touching each aspect of your being,
Your thoughts,
Your emotions and your experiences.
Illuminating them with peace and clarity.
And now,
Quietly affirm to yourself,
I am resilient.
I am steady,
Like a river flowing through life.
Feel these words resonating within you,
Filling you with quiet confidence and assurance.
And know,
That just as water adapts,
So can you.
That within you is a source of strength that grows with each experience,
Each emotion,
Each moment of calm.
And as you continue breathing,
Let go of any need to control or resist.
Simply be present,
At ease with the flow of your breath,
The flow of life and the strength you hold within.
In this state,
You are like water,
Adaptable,
Resilient,
And at peace with each twist and turn along your path.
And now it's time to bring this meditation to a close.
Begin to bring your awareness back to the present,
Feeling the weight of your body resting on the floor,
Or the chair or the cushion beneath you.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Gently move your fingers and toes,
Reconnecting with your surroundings.
Take a moment to sense the calm and resilience that's been cultivated within you.
You've tapped into a strength that's adaptable,
Fluid,
And unwavering,
Just like water.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes softly,
Carrying this sense of inner strength and resilience with you.
Know that this source is always within you,
A calm river you can return to whenever life's challenges arise.
Thank you for joining this Wellness Wednesday meditation.
Today,
You connected with your inner resilience,
Learning to flow with life's ups and downs,
Just as water flows around rocks in its path.
And as you move through your day or week,
Remember this sense of calm strength and adaptability.
Return to it whenever you need to,
Drawing upon the Taoist wisdom that resilience is not rigidity,
But rather a calm flexibility that carries you forwards.
And with that,
Until next time,
May you find peace within every moment.
Goodbye.
